Council Member Gary Schiff responds to immigration raid
BY DENNIS GEISINGER
“It’s outrageous,” said
9th Ward Minneapolis Council Member Gary Schiff about raids conducted
in his South Minneapolis ward last Saturday. “I can’t
believe anyone could be that stupid,” he said.
“The point is,” said Schiff,
“this terrible crime of sex trafficking going on in our community
is being overshadowed by the clumsy actions of ICE and BCA agents,”
he said.
Schiff’s comments were pointed at
agents from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA)
and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who gathered
in the parking lot of a local Lutheran church as a prerequisite
to the morning raids.
“I have to believe that this was
done intentionally,” said Schiff, “Not only as a cultural
insult, but as an insult to the sanctity of the church as well.”
He confirmed reports that the agents would not leave at the request
of the church pastor.
“Minneapolis police were not notified of any activity until
they were called by the BCA at 9 o’clock on Saturday morning,”
continued Schiff. The call was to inform local authorities that
arrest warrants were about to be carried out, Schiff said.
“BCA agents called back about 10:30 requesting help with crowd
control,” said Schiff. Groups of people had begun forming
at the intersection of Bloomington and Lake after agents started
pursuing “Latin-looking people on the sidewalk … ask[ing]
for their IDs,” according to witnesses.
“The BCA and ICE brought this upon
themselves,” said Schiff, asserting that pictures and video
that he had reviewed showed no improper conduct by members of the
Minneapolis police. “I believe Minneapolis policy was properly
followed,” he said.
Minneapolis police representative Lieutenant
Amelia Huffman has released a statement saying, “Minneapolis
officers do not enforce immigration policy.”
Schiff had introduced an ordinance passed by the Minneapolis City
Council in 2003 that says, in part, “the city does not operate
its programs for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration laws,”
forbidding city police from questioning or detaining people for
alleged immigration violations.
“If people have proof of Minneapolis
police escorting people we want to know,” said Schiff, encouraging
witnesses to come forward with evidence. The Minneapolis City Council
can be reached at 612-673-2200.
Eighteen people were arraigned in federal
court yesterday on charges of prostitution and human trafficking
as a result of the raid.
At a press conference held Monday, ICE
spokesman Tim Counts told reporters that five additional people
who did not have apparent connections to the prostitution ring were
arrested for alleged immigration violations.
According to Schiff, Minneapolis Police
Chief Tim Dolan has already met with local clergy, offering apologies
for Saturday’s actions by BCA and ICE and reiterating for
them, city policy.
Archbishop Harry Flynn and other Catholic
bishops have released a statement through church media saying that
they were “distressed and disheartened” by the law enforcement
efforts that targeted illegal immigrants in earlier raids conducted
outstate.
The bishops said that raids that occurred
earlier in Worthington “undermined progress that the city
had made toward bridging racial and cultural differences.”
In their statement the bishops call for “establishment of
legal pathways for migrants to come and work in a safe, humane and
orderly manner” and “restoration of due process protections
for immigrants.”
City officials scheduled a meeting for
yesterday afternoon to assure leaders in the Latino community that
“city policy still stands,” according to Schiff.
“I’m going to be sending letters to the BCA and ICE
asking for a formal apology,” he said.
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